Rotary engine.



- j PATENTED JUNE 1 1908. I KI ,AI Q

, ROTARY BNGINB;

APPLIOAIION FILED MAR. 21, 1908 mums-sum 1.

K A. E. ANDREAS. ROTARY ENGINE.

A PPLIOATION FILED M43.- 21, 1908- VPATBNIED-JUNE 16', ps;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

To all it may Be it known that I, KARL and residingat Berlin, Germafiny,

" UNITED STATES.

PATENT oFFroE." N

KARL ADQLF, ERNST ANDREAS, ,OF BERLIN, GER-MANY.

no'rlmrnnemn.

*steamengine or turbine in which .the prothe blades and compressed at the other end ner on the blades.

pellant is generated at the admission end of by condensation, the engine being rotated in consequence of the force acting in this man- It is equivalent whether the housing rotates with the blade-wheeler whether the-blade-wheel only rotates in the housing. The action of the rotary engine is increased when the steam is at as hi h pressure as possible and superheated be ore ad.- mission and is at as low pressure as possible or condensed after its-exhaust. Therefore a high pressure steam boiler and superheater are connected in front of the rotary engine and a condenser whichproduces a low vacuum isconnec'ted behind; Both .the steam boiler and superheater as well as the condenser are arranged around or in the rotary engme.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which several embodim'ents are represented by way of example in elevation partly in section, and in which Figure 1 shows a rotary steam engine or turbine with rotating steam generator, Fig. .2 a constructional form with stationary steam generator, whereas Fig. 3 is a modification of the constructional form according to Fig.2.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, a is a tubular surface condenser which sucks up its cold water fromthe sta+ tionary tank I) under the rotary engine and ejects .it above through pipes c. d is' the water space, e the annularsteam space and the furnace. Condenser a, water s ace steam and superheatmg space e, an bladerim g rotate as one connected whole round the axle h from which power is taken off at pulley '11.:

The rotary engine is driven as follows.:- The entire hollow body of the rotary engine is'hermetically sealed from the outside.

The rotary engine is filled with water somewhat above the bottom of the blade space g andevacuated of air. If the rotary engine Specification oi Letters Patent. f Application flledliarch 21, 1902. Serial No. 422,404.

Patented June 16, 1908.

=E I -2g Now when 0 the circumferential velocity is meters per sec.,

suffice to prevent the water rising into the steam space,.but the pressure in the condensing chamber would also be about 10 cms. higher than in the steam space. The steam would thus, generate in the steam chamber at about 18 atmospheres, and then flow through the blade-rim to the condenser in which a vacuum will exist corresponding to the temperature of the cold water. The highspeed developed bythis flow of steam would be taken up by the blade-rim, and thus the rotary engine is able not only to rotate with its own power but also to give off power in addition. In this arrangement the centrifugal force acts on the mass of water in such a manner that the latter tends to collect at the eripher of the water space in the form oi a hollbw paraboloid. In conseuence of the steam pressure developed 0 iefly at this place however, the mass of water is prevented or limited in its endeavor or tendency to rise at the periphery of'the steam space. Now since the development of steam, the speed of rotation and the centrifugal force in this device are amounts which are dependenton'one another in such a manner that with equal load they increase or decrease proportionally, the steam space remains approximately or quite. constant. Steam is thus produced. under like conditions atall speeds.

The advantages of this system are:

1. Less s ace required. 2'. Less anger, since the relatively small annular steam spaceis the only part under high pressure.

3. Great efficiency on account of the omission of all valves and steam pipes, as well as the employment of absolutely dry steam,

atmospheres; this pressure would not only is now rotatedrapidly, water thrown into the outer annular space 'e with the pressure since all water is centrifuged and thrown at that the boiler isstationary and only the water in the same is rotated. In this figure, 9 again indicates the blade-rinrwhich is here arranged on a bell-shaped sup )ort or holderv k; The bottom edge ofv this hell rotates in the'boileror water receptacle (1, the upper part of which is closed by an annular'disk Z from the condensing chamber or and'hereby prevents the rotating water rising atthe vertical walls. The ribs n which are arranged on the annular disk serve for preventing the mass of water in the condensing chamber m rotating. The ribs 0, wluchare cast-on the upper closure or cap a of the condensmg chamber, serve as surface condenser for the steam. Cooling is brought about by the cold ribs p cast on the same cap, whichribs in the above, form are cooled by a fan 1" attached to the axleh." r

The rotary engine or turbine according to Fig. 2 works in the following manner :-The lower plate-shaped part of the receptacle d made of boiler-plate which carries the heating tubes g is filled up to the edge with water, and then theupper arts are put in position on the top and tie whole closed iermetically and evacuated of air. If the heating tubes g are'now heated by a flame infthe conical fire-box f, the water in the tubes is vaporized and the steam will flow into the-steam space 6, whence it flows into the condensiifiichamberm through the upper part of the belllc and through the blade-rim g. The steam the. condensing chamber m is condensed to water 'by the surface 0on denser 0 and this water will flow back into the water receptacle d running radially alon the annular disk Z to the center. I The bell is rotated ra idly by the steam passing through the bla e-rim g at a very hlgliVG- .locity,'and the lower edge of the' bell trans- Inits this rotation to the mass ofwater in the chamber (1. In this manner a dependence is again made, in the same manner as in the rotary engine with rotating boiler previously described above, between the centriiugal pressure of .the' rotating mass of water and the steam pressure in the steam chamber e and the vacuum in the condensing chamber m. The bell is carrying the blade-rim is suspended onan axle h on 60 which are likewise. arranged the fan 1' and the pulley 1', power being able to be 'ob- .tained from the latter. V8 is a vacuum-gage and t a manometer. The rotary steam enine or turbine is regulated solely by regulating the furnace? The constructional form of the rotary steam engine or turbine represented in Fig. 3 likewise relates to a rotary engine or turbine with stationary boiler, but here the boiler is not arranged under the engine but at the side of or over the same. In Fig. 3

'9 again denotes the blade-rim,but here this tubes w. The'condenser pipes v open'near the axle into the housing of the turbine again and here s uirt the water against the disk at or throng holes in the same into the condensing chamber m. The steam turbine thus works in this manner with a water-jet injection condenser.- The heating tubes w bent serpentine and passing out of the annular Water receptacle d mutually cross over one another in such manner that cylindrical heatin chambers or fire-boxes f are formed by. the opposite bends of two heating tubes situated one behind the other, and these fire-boxes serve for containing the flames which are preferably produced by a burner for liquid combustible,

The rotary engine or turbine according to Fig. 3 works as follows: After the same has been filled some centimeters above the disk n'with distlled water, the axle being arranged vertically, the whole system is hermetlcally closed,heatedsornewhat and evacuated of air. Now, if the turbine body and with it the diskm' is rotated by driving them from an outside source of ower, the water will rise in the heating tu es 'w corresponding to the centrifugal pressure which is produced in the annular water receptacle d on account of the rotation of the mass of water, namely to a height corres onding to the velocity of rotation.. If the 1 burned in thefire-boxes f,the water in the heating tubes w will be vaporized, and now the steam flowing through 'the' body of the turbine to the condensing chamber m con tinues to. drive the, rotary engine. The quantity of .water flowing through the cooling1pipest-is preferably regulated at the spraying-nozzles an In this form of conuel is now struction itfis of course not necessary that the shaft of the turbine-body stand vertical; on the contrary the turbine or rotary en- "gine will also Work when the shaft is jourmission ports of said rotor, a furnace for heating the boiler, a condenser for condensing steam at the exhaust ports of. said rotor, and

means for rotating the waterin the boiler,

said engine, boiler, furnace and condenser formjngone'connected' systemor one whole,.

and the arran ement being sgch that the mass of-rotate water acts by means of centrifuga'l forcein such a manner that the steam i must flow from the high pressure side of the system tothe low pressure s'ide throughthe rotor and "thereby perform-work.

2. The combination of a rotary engine having a rotor with admission-and exhaust ports a stationary boiler for generating steam at the'adnu'ssion orts'of said rotor, a furnace for heating the oiler, a condenser for conthe water in the boilenisaid engine, boiler,

furnace and condenser forming one whole, I and the arran ement being such that the.

'comprisin a shaft carrying a be (lensing steam at the exhaust ports of said rotor and a member on said rotor for rotating mass of rotate water. acts bysmeans of centrifug-al force in such a manner. that the steam must flow from the high pressure side of the system to the-low pressure side through the rotor and thereby'perform work.

3; The combination of rotary engine comprising ashaft carryinga holder, and a rotor having admission. and exhaust ports on said' holder, a. boiler for generating steam at the admission ports of said rotor, a furnace for heating the'boiler, a condenser for condensing steam at the exhaust ports'of said rotor, the edge of said holder extending into.

the water in thekboiler and adapted to rotate the same, said engine, boiler, furnace and condenser forming one whole, and the arrangement being such that the mass of rotated water acts bymeans of centrifugal force in such a manner that the steam must flow from the high pressure side of the sys-- tem to the low pressure side through the rotor and thereby perform work. Y

' 4. The combination of a rotary engine l-shaped holder an a rotor having admission and exhaust ports on said holder, a water receptacle having heatin tubes connected therewith form'mg'a bo' er for generating steam at theadmissionports: of said rotor, a furnace for heating the boiler, a cap over said receptacle inclosing said engine and forming acondensing chamber forcondensing steam at the exhaust ports of said rotor, the edge of 5. The combination of a rotary engine comprisin a shaft carrying a bell-shaped holder and a rotor having admission and exhaust ports on said holder, a water receptacle havin heatin tubes connected therewith forming a boi er for generating steam at the admission ports of said rotor, a cap over said receptacle inclosing said engine and forming a condensing chamber for condensing steam at the exhaust ports of said rotor,

the edge of said holder extending into said receptacle, and an annular diskcovering said water receptacle and preventing the Water rising in, but allowin condensed water to flow into, the receptacl e, said disk carrying a plurality of ribs (n) for preventing Water in the condensing chamber rotating. 7

' 6. The combination of arotary engine comprising a shaft carrying a bell-shaped holder and a rotor-having admission and exhaust ports on said holder, a water receptacle havmg heating tubes connected therewith forming a boiler for generating steam at the ad, mission ports of said rotor, a cap over said receptacle inclosing said .engine and forming a condensing chamber for condensing steam at the exhaust ports of said rotor, a plurality of ribs (0) on said cap in said condensing cham ber, the edge of said holder extending into said-receptacle, and an annular disk covering said water receptacle and preventing the,

water rising in, but allowing condensed water to flow into, the receptacle.

7. The combination ofa rotary engine comprising a shaft carrying a bell-shaped holder and. a rotor having admission and exhaust orts on said holder, awater receptacle havmg heating tubes connected therewith forming a boiler for generating steam at the admission ports of said rotor, said tubes forming a furnace for heating the boiler, a cap over said receptacle inclosing said engine and forming a condensing chamber for condensing steamat the exhaust ports of said rotor, a

pluralityfof ribs (0) on said cap in said eondensing chamber, a plurality of cooling ribs (p)-outside said cap, the edge of said holder extending into said receptacle, and an annular disk covering said water receptacle and preventing the water rising in, but allowing engine and forming a furnace for heating the ing condensed Water to flow into, the recep- 10 boiler, a cap over said receptacle inclosing tacle. v

said-engine and forming a condensing cham- In testimony whereof, I affix my signature bier f0; condensirlig stleam :fmt thegachaust orts in the presence of two Witnesses.

0 sai rotor a. ura it o ,ri s 0 on sai ca I I 1 in saidcondens ln ch r nber, the edge of sai KARL ERNST Adm/mm holder extending into said receptacle, and an Witnesses: I annular disk covering said water receptacle HENRY HAsPER,

and preventing the water risingin, but allow- WOLDEMAR HAnPT. 

